Man caught
scrap-handed
in felony, say
state police

TOWN OF VIENNA — A 43-year-old man is accused of stealing scrap metal from a garage on Oswego Road Monday afternoon.

Law enforcers said a similar burglary at a nearby barn remains under investigation.

Sylvan Beach-based state police said Lawrence C. Anken, of 9344 Taberg-Florence Road, Annsville, was found walking out of the woods to his waiting vehicle on Oswego Road at about 1:05 p.m. Monday. Troopers back-tracked Anken’s path through the woods and discovered that he had been stealing scrap metal and other items from a nearby garage. The occupants of the residence were not at home.

Troopers said Anken had piled up the stolen metal and was going to drive up to the residence to load it into his vehicle. Anken is charged with felony third-degree burglary, and was arraigned and sent to county jail on $15,000 cash bail.

State police said further investigation in the area revealed that possible accomplices to Anken had stolen scrap metal from a neighboring barn. Several cow stalls and water buckets had been removed from the barn and piled alongside the roadway, waiting to be picked up. No one has been charged, but troopers said the accomplices remain under investigation.